An American IPA In Denmark

Meant For You- The Beach Boys MP3



Friends- The Beach Boys MP3



Passing By- The Beach Boys MP3


7/20/11

beeradvocate.com- B+

Mikkeller Citra Single Hop IPA- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint, Brooklyn- 32 oz- Poured in to Belgium Beer Glass- 6.8% ABV

Head- Frothy, 2 finger head. Hung around quite a bit with some thick lacing

Color-Dark orange, a bit cloudy

Mouthfeel- Medium but actually more towards the light side. Carbonated but not extremely active

Aroma- Hoppy, sticky citrus

Tatse/ Overall- This beer was brewed in Denmark and was brewed with a single hop, Citra, and is described as an American IPA. I don't know to much about this Hop or its components . This is my first foreign brewed American style IPA. The aroma has all the hallmarks of an American IPA but the taste is kind of different and not what I was expecting. This is a pretty smooth drinker with a bitter sweetness to it if that is possible. It also has a dryness to the finish I don't usually experience with IPA's from here. This is a pretty drinkable brew with some depth to it that I like. The only drawback is it was $14 for a 32oz. Growler which is more than what I like to spend but I initially saw the wrong price so I just went with it. It was nice to try a Denmark American style IPA and would be open to it in the future for the right price but I don't forsee seeing it to often.

On the turntable is Friends- The Beacdh Boys- Recorded largely in Brian wilson's home studio in 1968. I have been slacking on the posts lately but I had some issues with my MP3 posts and I switched to a DivShare music player so hopefully that alleviates my playback issues.

Music wise it has been a lot of fusion and prog rock as of late. Not wide spread fusion and prog but, more specifically, Billy Cobham and Genesis. But I have also been in a Beach Boys state of mind as well. Maybe it has something to do with the oppressive summer heat as of late. I have had quite a few Beach Boys phases over the years dating back to the late 80’s when I had a cassette of their greatest hits which I listened to on my walkman when I was mowing lawns in the summer. My second period of Beach Boys came when I first heard Pet Sounds around 1999. We were having some beers at my friends apartment in Brooklyn and he played it for me. I had heard it mentioned by Paul McCartney saying it had inspired The Beatles Sgt. Pepper LP and honestly at the time I didn’t really understand the context of the statement. It took me a few years of listening and learning before I truly understood how these influences were expressed and how the careers of the Beatles and the Beach Boys intersected. I became a fan of Pet Sounds that night and I soon purchased the CD at the old HMV on E. 86TH St. in Manhattan.

A couple more years down the road I bought the LP Sunflower by the Beach Boys and soon realized they had some great music following what many deem their greatest achievement, Pet Sounds. Their post Pet Sounds catalog has been long neglected, except for true fans, and only now is being positively reassessed. This purchase inspired me to seek out most of their pre and post Pet Sounds albums and at current count I have 11 or 12 of their LP’s. Most of them are reissues from the 1970’s and 1980’s but I have a couple of originals. I am surprised I have so many, I didn’t set out to have all of them but most of them were surprisingly inexpensive. I may have more Beach Boys LP’s than I have of any other one group/artist which is strange because I certainly like a lot of other groups more.

The Friends LP escaped me for awhile and was the one I was most interested in since B. Wilson has said in interviews it is one of his favorites. I still look in the Beach Boys bin to see if I can find another pressing and I have yet to find one. I really enjoy this LP and my main complaint with it is its brevity. It clocks in somewhere around 35 minutes and one or two songs are kind of weak in my opinion, Transcendental Meditation and Anna Lee, The Healer. There is a relaxed, contemplative feel on this LP and is composed around themes like the environment, home and a sense of spirituality. And what this LP lacks is made up for with imaginative instrumentation reminiscent of exotica albums, Dennis Wilson’s first contributions as a songwriter and some really sweet organ tones. MP3’s include above are “Meant For You”, which leads of the album, is a transcendent piece which mixes vocals, piano and possibly organ and clocks in at 38 seconds (again, too brief) and leads into the cornerstone of the LP “Friends”. These are followed by “Passing By” one of a handful of instrumental pieces, with some wordless vocals, in the Beach Boys catalog could have been a toss off from the Pet Sounds sessions and adds a nice, whirling resolution to the first side of this LP.

There will probably be more Beach Boys sessions in the future...

Gotta Love Triple LP's And Cans of Beer

Home To You- Earth Opera MP3


Rama Mama- The Rainbow Band mp3

7/7/11

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/22193- A-

Sixpoint Sweet Action Ale- Quick Mart- Rego Park, Queens- 1 16 oz. Can- Poured into Pub glass- 5.2% ABV

Head- Nice creamy, 2 finger head. Didn't hang around to long, though, and, no lacing.

Color-Light brown, dark orange

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied, creamy. Very nice, what an ale should taste like in my opinion.

Aroma- Fruity, maybe peaches and malts. Not to hoppy.

Taste/ Overall- Wow, this came out of a can. I am impressed. Nice local offering from the Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn. I have never had this before nor any of the other beers from Sixpoint but I am intrigued by this. Well down offering, especially since it is from a can.

On the turntable is Garden of Delights- Various Artists- Elektra Records compilation. Early 70's? 3 LP set in a slip case. I had read an article about Jac Holzman the founder of Elektra records and started looking around for an Elektra Records compilation and I came across this on a website. This was actually an Ebay purchase. I usually don't tend to buy much on Ebay (less than 5% of my records are from Ebay) and try to find it on my own but there are times where I breakdown. No one else ended up bidding on it opened at $4.99 and I bought it for $5 plus $4 shipping and handling. Not a bad value for a 3 LP set.



The collection is really good, better than I expected, and has opened me up to a bunch of artists I had never heard of. The majority of the tracks seem to be from the late 60's and early 70's aschewing the earlier output of the label which from what I have read and heard is decidedly more "folky". One of the interesting things about Jac Holman was his affinity for music outside the mainstream or at least on the cusp of. He actually made quite a bit of money making "sound affects" records and their success funded the early stages of the label and allowed him to take risks other labels were not willing to take. Love, Judy Collins, The Doors and The Stooges were all Elektra bands! But there seems to be hundreds of others and I have chosen to share with you two of those bands from this compilation. The first is Home To You by Earth Opera. A Boston based band led by David Grishman and Peter Rowan who both went on to fame at different times playing bluegrass with both Clarence White and Jerry Garcia. According to the liner notes this group initially had a garage rock/psychedelic bent but this track from there 2nd LP has a definite country-rock bent leaning towards the direction Rowan and Grishman would take their careers in the future. The second track is Rama Mama by The Rainbow Band. I chose this tune for two reasons. One is that it is a great example of a strain psychedelic folk popularized in the 60's which has a not so vague eastern spiritual quality to it. The second reason is that this husband and wife band were originally from Syosset, NY not to far from where I grew up! After some research I learned that there one Electra LP, which seems fairly rare, fetches some big dollars on the resale market. It's hard to believe some folks from Syosset came up with this ditty.The liner notes stated they "live and work in Topanga Canyon where they are inspired by God and the California sunshine." Amen, enjoy.

The James Gang Rides Again

Love the cover!






6/23/11

beeradvocate.com- B

Brooklyn Summer Ale- Quick Mart- Rego Park, Queens-12 oz. Bottle poured into Belgian glass- 5% ABV- I have actually had this beer quite a few times but never really sat down and thought about it to much until now. Poured with about a fingers worth of head which dissipated pretty quickly. No lacing really left on the glass. golden colored and fairly clear. A bit sweet smelling, kinda floral and a bit of lemon zest maybe. Very active carbonation, much more than I remembered. The carbonation actually reminds me of Miller High Life. A light medium mouth feel. In the taste there is a bit of bitterness and a bit of lemon. Not a whole lot of complexity here but what it lacks in complexity it certainly makes up for in drinkability. This is one easy drinking beer. Almost to easy, its been about 6 or seven minutes since I opened it and its almost gone. A good summer beer for sure if you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary but a step above Bud or Miller.

On the turntable is Rides Again- James Gang- Recorded at the Record Plant East & West and released in 1970- Over the past couple of weeks I have been listening to a lot of Jazz and I felt like some good old classic rock and the James Gang certainly fills that bill. This is a solid rock album and in general in my opinion the James Gang is often overlooked in a lot magazines and music shows in general. I have the same opinion about the band Mountain. Both bands were American power trios and both had, at the worst 2nd tier guitar gods in Joe Walsh and Leslie West, and both bands had an aggressive sound which has been appropriated by many bands that have come in their wake. Another similarity between these two guitarists is they both have a history of entertaining appearances on the Howard Stern. Leslie West in particular is a good friend of the Stern show and recently had one of his legs amputated due complications related to Diabetes.

This album is primarily known for the classic rock staples Funk #49, Tend My Garden and The Bomber. An interesting track here is Ashes The Rain and I which was produced by Jack Nitszche who was both a protege of Phil Spector and a member of the original incarnation of Neil Young's backing band, Crazy Horse. I chose to post two lesser known tracks here and both are kind of on the mellower side. First is the funky, guitar-delayed riff driven Asshtonpark and second is the country rock inspired number There I Go Again aided and abetted by the band Poco's pedal steel guitar man Rusty Young.

They Don't Want Me Anymore- Okie Jones MP3


God Help Us Understand- Okie Jones MP3

6/18/11

beeradvocate.com- B+

Victory Summer Love Blonde Ale- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint, Brooklyn- 32 oz. Growler- Poured in to Brandy Snifter Glass- 5.2% ABV- Brewed in Pennsylvania- Golden, straw colored. A bit darker than a Budweiser. I actually had a glass of this the other day and resealed the growler. The beer kept well but the head was not as impressive as the initial pour. The first days pour yielded about a two finger fluffy head which receded quickly. This time it barely had half a fingers worth of head. Little to no lacing on the glass. Lively small carbonation. This beer has a floral, slightly sweet aroma which is not overly hoppy. Mouth feel is definitely light bodied. The taste is truly refreshing and crisp and feels more like a pilsner to me than what I would typically consider an ale. Not super complex but has a subtle hop bitterness and absolutely no clingy aftertaste. I could definitely see myself drinking this again and it probably be just as good straight out of a bottle than it would be in a glass or from a tap.

My first 45 post is on the turntable, Okie Jones- They Don't Want Me Anymore b/w God Help Us Understand- Recorded in Nashville, Tenn. I am not a big 45 record buyer but on occasion I will leaf through some if I come across them in a thrift shop which is where I found this record. I was inspired to listen to this record after reading a blog post on http://somelocalloser.blogspot.com/2011/06/allen-potter.html which featured another Sur-Speed Records 45.





I don't know to much about Sur-Speed Records or Okie Jones but there is a bit of info on his discography at Hillbilly-Researcher.com for those interested. This 45 is, I am assuming pretty rare. What is even rarer is where I found it in a Long Island thrift store where really it had no place being. I wish I had the opportunity to find more records like this but being in New York certainly prevents me from coming across many old hillbilly records. This is a really weird little record and Okie Jones singing style has an almost preacher like quality similar to recordings by Porter Wagoner. Side 1 is They Don't Want Me Anymore written by H.R. Jonas which is a conversation between a bartender and a broken down customer who feels neglected by his family. Okie Jones wrote the flipside, God Help Us Understand, and is definitely not a politically correct track. This is the story of a man conflicted about his Christian upbringing and the way the world and himself treats African Americans. Both these tracks have minimal instrumental backing. Steel guitar, bass and guitar gently play in the background lending themselves softly to the voice on these tracks which is clearly the focal point.

Pick Your Poison

A Reason To Believe- Tim Hardin MP3


If I Were A Carpenter- Tim Hardin MP3

6/9/11

beeradvocate.com- B+

Two Brothers Hop Juice Double IPA- New Beer Distributors, Chrystie Street New York, NY-2 oz. bomber into a Pub Glass- 9.9 % ABV. About a two finger head which receded rapidly. Clear, dark orange in color. Not much lacing on the glass but a bit is left behind. Lightly carbonated. Beautiful mouth feel, heavy to medium bodied. I wish more beers had this mouthfeel especially some of the IPA's I have had. But the taste and aroma are not as good as I expected. The aroma to me was booze, pine and sweetness. Almost bordering on a barley wine but not quite. I don't detect any of the dark fruits of a barley wine but I definitely don't think the booze is well hidden in this and it was kinda of a poor choice for a steamy hot early June night. This beer would be good for a cooler night but doesn't quite hit the mark for me tonight.

Pick Your Poison…

On the turntable is Tim Hardin 3 Live In Concert- Tim Hardin- Recorded Live at the Town Hall, NYC in 1969- There are drawbacks to cheap records. This record in particular was very cheap but as you can hear it is in pretty rough shape. I would have to say it borders on unlistenable but the actual music is so engaging that I am willing to suffer a bit for it. I was unaware of this record when I found it and I was happy to come across it. When I saw its condition I was less happy and almost balked at buying it...but I am glad i did. Even after bringing it home and treating it with some high quality cleaning solution it still was in pretty poor form. Cleaning it may have even brought some more scratches which were previously hidden by grime.


Inner Gatefold Concert Photo

I could not post this record without including Hardin’s version of If I Were A Carpenter. That song was the first song my wife and I danced to at our wedding, albeit the June & Johnny Cash version. To be honest the June & Johnny Cash version of If I Were A Carpenter was probably the second Cash song I fell in love alongside Sunday Morning Coming Down. Both songs were on Johnny Cash’s Columbia Best of Vol. 2 which I bought on cassette, in about 1997, prior to a road trip. It was my official introduction to Johnny Cash, it was a spark that lit the fire, not just for Cash’s music but my general interest in early American roots music. That said this song holds a special place in my heart and needed to be included in the post despite its sonic short comings. I decide to post this song without audio restoration with the pops , clicks and scratches largely included but it leaves us with a fuller sounding file instead of one which was compressed to remove the clicks and pops. Though I must apologize for the last 15-20 seconds of House Carpenter which suffers from sum brief skips which are unavoidable.

Hardin was a contemporary of Fred Neil who I posted about recently and in a sense cut from the same cloth.A trailblazing singer-songwriter whose melancholy delivery often kept him along the fringes of fame and whose songs often ended up more popular delivered by other singers. Hardin has endured with a cultish popularity along the lines of Tim Buckley, Harry Nilsson and Leonard Cohen. His story didn’t have a happy ending and he died at the age of 39 in 1980 of a drug overdose in Los Angeles. Another tragic ending to a gifted songwriter. I hate to say this but some of the material I have on a Verve Records CD career retrospective is a bit redundant arrangement wise but this record allows for Hardin to really stretch out vocally and instrumentally. I consider it a precursor to some Van Morrison's work especially the jazzy, live LP Its To Late To Stop Now anchored much like this LP by musicians who were talented enough to allow their front men to get loose and relax. If you have a chance to listen to this record it has a breezy, bossa nova feel in places aided by clavinet and jazzy upright bass alongside simple songs with a folky appeal. Songs like Black Sheep Boy, Red Balloon, The Lady Came From Baltimore and the above mentioned Carpenter and A Reason To Believe, included here as an MP3, originally written by Hardin but popularized by Rod Stewart, all really shine here and highlight Hardins ability as both a performer and writer.

This Rather Than That- Buddy Montgomery MP3


Willy Nilly Blues- Buddy Montgomery MP3

6/4/11

beeradvocate rating- A-
official reviews-

Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint, Brooklyn- 32 oz- Poured in to Belgian Beer Glass- 7% ABV- Brewed in California. As I began posting this I realized it has been quite a while since I got a growler at Brouwerij Lane in Brooklyn. Its kind of a shame and I need to make an effort to go their more often there prices are really good and their selection for growlers is very good. IN comparison to other placed I have been this probably the best. Granted I have not gotten growlers anywhere else but based on the layout and selection alone this seems to be at the top of the pack and the guys who run the place are nice. The guy I spoke to Thursday said the brewer of Anderson Valley had flown out to Brouwerij Lane for their Anderson Valley tasting event a few weeks ago. This beer pored a fairly clear amber with a big dense head which stuck around. Globby lacing on the glass. The aroma is not as piney or citrusy as I expected. There is a sweet maltienes to it and just hints of fruity citrus. I for one can't really pick out any boozieness in this beer so at 7% ABV its pretty well hidden. Medium bodied mouth feel with light carbonation. I am enjoying this beer pretty smooth and balanced in my opinion and easy to drink. Some bitterness but balanced by some sweetness. There are some things going on this beer but I cant quite put my finger on them. Certainly a hoppy beer but a little more leveled out than some I have tried.

On the turntable is This Rather Than That- Buddy Montgomery. Recorded in Chicago on September 10 and 11, 1969 for Impulse Records. Buddy Montgomery, vibraphonist and piano player, was the younger brother of Wes and Monk Montgomery. I have been a fan of Wes Montgomery for quite some time and have more than a few of his records. But it took me a while to realize that early on in his career his band was largely comprised of his brothers. Over the years I have been lucky enough to come across some of their records as well. I have one Monk Montgomery record, which I came across recently, and two Buddy Montgomery records. I will probably do some other Montgomery brother related posts in the future but for now this is a fun enjoyable listen. There is not a whole lot of information out there on the internet about this LP and it does not really seem like a whole lot of thought went into this recording date. The liner notes indicate that their were two groups responsible for recording these tracks. Some of the members were holdovers from Bud's playing days with his brother Wes and with additional players augmenting the group who happened to be in town playing with Les McCann and Eddie Harris. This album has a laid back vibe to it and the arrangements do not seem overly complicated. It goes to show you don’t always need a whole lot of over preparation to make enjoyable music. The tracks I posted are really a throwback to what attracted me to jazz originally via the Beastie Boys. These two tracks are heavy on the organ and electric Fender bass favored by Monk Montgomery. The simmering vibraphone of Buddy Montgomery, the bass of Monk and Keyboards of Melvin Rhyne really lock into a groove on the title cut This Rather Than That.

Guitars, Gurus and Beer

The Life Divine- Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin MP3


A Love Supreme- Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin MP3

5/29/11

beeradvocate.com- B-

Samuel Adams Pale Ale- Bought by a friend to my house. 12 oz. bottle into Belgian beer glass. Poured with a pillowy 2 finger head which receded quickly. Some lacing left on the glass. Light orange in color with pretty active carbonation. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium. A pretty malty ale. Biscuity? I think so a bit of hops in there to. Nice aroma not overly strong but a pleasant sweet smell. I wasn't planning on doing a blog today but this was in the fridge so I thought why not. I had been listening and ripping some records and it afforded me the opportunity to do a post. I don't drink to much Sam Adams but this is a nice pale ale. Very easy drinking, in fact to easy. Not a super complex beer but I don't think it really needs to be. A refreshing light ale for a late spring day.

On the turntable is Love Devotion Surrender- Carlos Santana and Mahavishnu John McLauglin- Recorded for Columbia Records in 1973. After reading an article about Billy Cobham in the recent issue of Waxpoetics I searched my stacks for some related LP's. This is the first one I came across and its another $2 winner. I long for the days when major label recording artists could pose on the back sleeve with their guru's...well not really. But this is LP is a testament not only visually but musically as to how far the music industry has regressed. In 1973, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Devotion_Surrender, was certified gold on the Billboard charts. Today an album like this couldn't even have been record for a major label nonetheless certified gold. Its an unfortunate truth. That is not to say that the music in between these grooves is an influence on what is happening today. On the bus ride home from Philadelphia (the Willie Nelson show was superb!) I was listening The Life Divine and was reminded of the Brooklyn based band Oneida whose surging rhythms would not sound out of place next to this LP.



A devotional prayer included in Sri Chimnony's album liner notes and the 1973 address for Sri Chimony's Lighthouse located not to far from where I live.

This collaboration was inspired Santana and McLaughlin's spiritual adviser at the time Sri Chinmoy. This record is a spiritual musical journey in the 1970's sense of the term. The group included members of Santana's band and the Mahavishnu Orchestra including Michael Shrieve, Billy Cobham, Doug Rauch, Armando Peraza, Jan Hammer, Don Alias, organist Larry Young. This album has been described as tribute to both Sri Chimony and John Coltrane and to that end I have included a MP3 of A Love Supreme and The Life Divine which I described above. I particularly enjoy The Life Divine which really emphasizes the intensity of, who I presume to be, Billy Cobham on drums (Don Alias and Jan Hammer are also listed in the liner notes for their drumming contributions but I am guessing this is Cobham).